Dr. Maxine Lubner, chair of Vaughn College’s management department, will attend a key global conference in Paris at the invitation of French President Nicolas Sarkozy and other officials. The conference, titled “The e-G8 Forum” brings together top Internet and digital leaders and management experts from across the world in advance of the G8 annual conference.

LubnerG8The G8, or Group of Eight, is a confederation of the world’s most industrialized democracies. It meets annually to discuss issues of interest to member countries—the United States, Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia. The pre-conference attended by Dr. Lubner will focus on emerging digital technologies, how those technologies drive economic growth and Internet privacy matters.

“It’s a unique opportunity to examine how information technology shapes economic growth and to study the digital technologies of the future,” Dr. Lubner said.

Sarkozy will deliver the keynote address on Tuesday (May 24). Ideas generated from the two-day e-G8 forum will be presented directly to the heads of state of member nations, including U.S. President Barack Obama. It is the first time information technology will have a place on the larger G8 agenda.